I had just turned off the evening news and was on my way to the kitchen to begin dinner when Lizzie ran up to me, grabbed my waist and with very serious eyes, looked up to me and asked me this question, “Mommy, what if Santa can’t afford Christmas this year?” Lizzie had been in earshot of the evening news and no doubt heard enough of the financial woes and was concerned. I hesitated, not wanting to scare her, but also not wanting to lie to her. Her father and I had expressed concern about bills, the holidays, and taxes--all of which may have contributed to Lizzie’s question and concern. I wasn’t sure what a 7-year-old should be told, but since I had always prided myself in open discussion, I decided to take the time and talk with Lizzie in an effort to answer her question.

You don’t have to be a news buff to be aware that times are tough right now. Protests are happening in every country including our own, news of banks making money but still charging a checking fee for customers, and political fights between politicians ranting and raving depending on where their support dollars are coming from. It’s crazy, and on a more basic level, every household is trying to re-budget and pay back debt. Many of those households are full of children with holiday wish lists longer than your credit card receipts. Parents with children such as Lizzie will be more effective at teaching their children the true meaning of the holidays, the depth of family love, and mentoring responsible spending if they take these sorts of questions seriously. Lizzie asked a serious question in her 7-year-old mind. Here are five important tips that can be used again and again as the holidays grow closer.

1.     Santa has nothing to do with money. Santa is about feeling loved and cared for. The toy you love most and that will make you feel most loved, is the one Santa will try his best to get. It is important that as a parent, you help guide your child with gift requests. If you know your child wants a $100 toy, and you can only afford $50, then suggest another toy that would make your child feel just as loved. Don’t do this in a critical manner, but in a loving, supportive manner. Something such as this, “I know you want that toy, but that is so much money for one toy. What other toy could you get that would make you feel just as loved?” If you do this with a loving tone of voice, you are teaching compassion, understanding, and problem solving.

2.     Reassure your child that adults like the spirit of the holidays too, and they are not going to let a Christmas go by--no matter how poor they are--without celebrating. No matter who you are, you should make every effort to celebrate holidays with your child. No matter what holiday you celebrate, children learn from the ritual and the spiritual concepts that surround the holidays.

3.     Make the focus of the holidays on friends and family. Look at “wish lists” but also promote thinking of others. Children are very egocentric at young ages; that means it’s more important for parents not to be. Children who turn into generous, compassionate, and loving adults were nurtured by loving, compassionate and generous parents. You don’t have to be wealthy to be generous, loving and compassionate. In fact, many times the two are negatively correlated. This may include sorting out good but used toys or books that are no longer age appropriate, and going with your child to donate them to a children’s hospital or shelter where these might be greatly appreciated.

4.     Parents need to set a budget for gifts and stick to it. The best gifts of all are the ones that cost the least, but speak the loudest of love and caring. Last year, a friend of mine bought me three pairs of running socks (I am a runner. I use these every single day). Inside the toe of each sock, she rolled up a slip of paper that had a quote of something I had said to her that meant the most throughout the year. Six quotes…so meaningful. It was my FAVORITE gift. The idea of giving a gift is thinking of what the person would like, or letting them know how they touched your life.

5.     Let Lizzie know frequently, and any other child, that the economic crisis may mean everyone has less, but it will never take away their family. Santa may not be giving out as many gifts, but that’s okay because you have the best gift of all with one another. Children (and parents) who are reassured that their family is strong and loving can endure this and anything else.

To be honest, Lizzie, you may not get the biggest, most expensive toy this year, but the holidays will have more love than last year because the bigger you get, the more loving you become, and the more grateful I am to be your parent.

According to a recent report by the World Economic Forum, poor job security, increased workload, and a lingering recession are leading causes of job burnout and stress. All of us have suffered job burnout from time to time, but the conditions are more severe and widespread now. There is a deeper sense of exhaustion, cynicism and despondency. Most of us have witnessed friends and co-workers losing their jobs, being surprised at work with a pink slip, or even being escorted off company premises. It has left many with the feeling of being betrayed and used.

Witnessing friends and family members losing their jobs is as difficult as losing your own, and this anxiety does not go away. It is stored and often turns to anger, road rage, guilt, irritability at home, frustration with your relationships and depression. None of us can escape the recession; it is worldwide. Each and every day, we hear about the deadlines for our government, our incredible debt, Greece’s problems and the starving children all over the world. Due to the human ability to socially connect, many of these people become our family or friends, and we can no longer deny that we are in this worldwide recession together.

Since the recession will continue taking its toll, we must all focus on how we can take care of ourselves and our families so the additional stress and work load doesn’t compromise our health. Using cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, retail therapy, porn, and food to make us feel better may provide temporary relief, but it will only add to our health problems five years down the road. Better options are meditation, prayer and exercise. If it were possible to put meditation, prayer and exercise into a capsule, we would be the healthiest nation on earth. Everyone knows how to exercise, but books and magazines are bought by millions of people who really just need to open the door and take a walk. People know how to pray, but it is usually done when the person is desperate and has limited options.  Brain scans have shown an increase in healthy brain activity when people pray or meditate. The heart rate lowers, blood pressure falls, and respirations become deeper and slower. With prayer and meditation, you need to learn to be still, but we have such a tough time learning that it is okay to sit still and be quiet.

The best thing you can do for your health that will give you more energy is to learn to pray and/or meditate. It takes only five minutes each day, and you can practice it anywhere. Get the whole family involved as it is a wonderful gift to teach your children. Here is a very simple guide to help you with your five minutes:

1.     Schedule it into your day during a time where you are least likely to be interrupted. Early morning works well for many.

2.     Set your timer for five minutes. From that point, don’t think about time.

3.     Sit in a comfortable position and focus only on your breath. If a thought interrupts, it is okay, just let it pass. Do not act on the thought, rather observe the thought. 

4.     In the beginning, it is best to have silence with no music in the background. If you cannot do that then nature sounds are best.

5.     Don’t expect anything to change immediately. It takes a while for your brain to realize this is your five minutes, and you will protect it. Changes begin to happen after 30 days of consistent practice.

Many schools are teaching meditation for children. The schools realized that small children have many stressors today that we didn’t have growing up. Teaching meditation to young children has been reported to lessen bullying behaviors. Relationships and marriages also improve with meditation.  It is in the stillness that we heal our body, minds, and souls.